


All Along

by side_stickie_note (lost_stickie_note)



Series: Wait for Me [2]
Category: X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of a Suicide Attempt, Some angst, seungseok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-19 17:27:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20660984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_stickie_note/pseuds/side_stickie_note
Summary: [5+1] Five times Seungyoun doesn't realize, and the one time he does.[Part 2 of Wait for Me series, read Part 1 first or else this won't make much sense, haha][Part 1here]





	All Along

**Author's Note:**

> Couldn't stop my mind from thinking up the plot to this. ♡ Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> A big thank you to my lovely beta readers. ♡
> 
> Any comments, kudos, and feedback are always appreciated!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: [@sidestickienote](https://twitter.com/sidestickienote) for writing updates, randomness, or X1/kpop-related screaming, etc.

Seungyoun doesn’t realize how much he needs Wooseok until he’s finished carving everyone else into his skin.

\---

Wooseok shows up exactly an hour and seventeen minutes after Seungyoun calls him, standing outside when he opens the front door looking worried, a plastic bag in each hand. “I said you didn’t have to come.” Seungyoun reluctantly lets the other boy into his house, sniffling, the snot still running out of his nose.

“You said I didn’t have to, but that doesn’t mean I _shouldn’t_.” Wooseok shoulders his way past Seungyoun, lifting up the two bags. “So I have ice cream. Brought Neapolitan for chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. And I also have double chocolate-y chip with fudge brownie and also cookie dough. I wasn’t sure which you were in the mood for, so I brought them all.”

“Ugh, I shouldn’t eat all that junk food.” Seungyoun bites his lip, feeling the tears starting to well up again.

“Yeah, well today is the exception.” His best friend throws the bags on to his kitchen counter. “He’s dumb for wanting to break up with you by the way. Just because you’re going to different universities, not like you’re going to be on different continents.” Wooseok opens the freezer, waving the pints of ice cream in the air. “So which flavor will it be?”

The two of them end up on the couch watching a shitty rom-com, Seungyoun spooning double chocolate-y chip with fudge brownie into his mouth straight from the pint and Wooseok with a small bowl of vanilla. His best friend groans as another cheesy scene unfolds. “This has got to be the worst movie ever. Please remind me why we’re watching this?”

“Because I’m heartbroken, and I just need to watch sappy, unrealistic love scenes to make me feel that love still exists after this.” Seungyoun whines as Wooseok rolls his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“You just haven’t found your real, true love yet.” The skepticism on Wooseok’s face makes Seungyoun curl up and groan on the inside. “And if you think your forever love is going to be the boy that decided to leave because of a little hitch like this, then you need to get your eyes checked.”

“Shut up, Wooseok.”

“But don’t worry, _Seungyounie_.” His best friend declares, waving the spoon in the air, taking another lick of his ice cream. He groans out loud at the childhood nickname, burying his head into the huge blanket covering the two of them. “I am here, as your bestest friend through and through, to be your spirit guide in your thus far unfortunate quest for love.”

“No thank you, _Wooseokie_.” He shoots back, watching the other boy’s face scrunch up in sourness like he’s just bitten into a lemon.

“You’re not allowed to use that nickname on me. No, absolutely not.”

“What? _You _just used mine.” Seungyoun squawks, indignant.

“Yeah, well, that’s because I’m trying to take your mind off of the breakup right now. And what better way to do that then embarrass you to death. What would you do without me? I don’t even know.” Wooseok narrows his eyes. “You’re so lucky I’m following you to university. And doubly so that we’re roommates. Who else would be so magnanimous to pick up after you.”

“Shut up.”

“Never, Seungyounie, never.” Wooseok stares at him earnestly. “Anything else we can do to take your mind off of it?”

“No.” He sticks out his lower lip in a pout, loosening it after a few moments of thought. “Well, maybe.” The courage flows through him the more he thinks about it, the thought making him strangely buoyant. “Maybe I should get that tattoo I’ve always wanted.”

Wooseok raises his eyebrows. “Yeah? Not scared of your parents murdering you afterwards?”

“Only if they find out.”

“Done.” Wooseok holds out his pinky for Seungyoun to intertwine, pressing their thumbs together in a makeshift pact. “We’ll go next week. Don’t you dare try and chicken out.”

Seungyoun almost chickens out.

Wooseok makes sure he doesn’t.

\---

“I did it!” Wooseok lets the door to their apartment slam behind him, throwing his keys into the small dish on the bookshelf near the doorway. His best friend starts cackling, and Seungyoun looks at him confusedly, looking up from where he’s sitting on the couch typing out an essay for his creative writing class.

“Did what exactly?”

“Keyed that asshole’s car.”

“You WHAT?” The statement makes Seungyoun shoot up straight immediately, nearly knocking his laptop off his lap. “What the fuck, Wooseok?”

His best friend looks at him, an almost maniacal look of glee on his face. “Yeah, he deserves it for cheating on you. And let me tell you, it felt _great_.” Wooseok lets out another laugh, his arms holding his sides as he dissolves into giggles that don’t stop. “Lord help me if I get to see him driving around like the prick he is in the car he only has because of his dad’s money.”

Seungyoun feels the elation taking over his initial horror, his best friend’s happiness contagious. “Wait, he’s going to know it’s me though. Who else would have keyed his car.”

Wooseok waves off the question, shaking his head. “Nope, you have a ready made alibi. I did it when you were on the field in practice all afternoon. There’s no way he can blame you. Plus, I don’t think anyone saw me.”

The grin slowly spreads over his face. “Wooseokie, have I ever told you I love you? Because I do.”

Wooseok snorts with laughter. “You better love me. Especially after all the effort I’ve spent the last few months telling you to break up with him, and you _not listening_ to a word I say.” His friend pauses. “But I am generous and accept your apology.”

“I promise to tell you every day for the rest of our lives.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

Seungyoun sees the car the next day while he’s with Wooseok, the two of them stopping to stare as his ex-boyfriend drives past, the word ‘ASSHOLE’ in big, capitalized letters on the driver’s side making him smile.

\---

Seungyoun shows up to Wooseok’s apartment, the only thing in his hands his laptop and a duffel bag with some mismatched clothes thrown in. His best friend understands as soon as he sees Seungyoun’s face, letting him in without a word, pulling him into a tight hug that crushes all the air out of his lungs. “Wooseok, I think I forgot to bring my toothbrush and stuff.” His voice is muffled in the other boy’s shoulder.

“That’s okay, Seungyounie. That’s okay.”

He goes numbly through the motions for the rest of the night, watching as Wooseok sets up the pull-out couch for him, placing new sheets there for him, grabbing him a towel, making him dinner that he doesn’t have much of an appetite for. Seungyoun is overcome with an exhaustion that seems heavy in his bones, the sleepiness threatening to overtake him.

“Did you bring pajamas at least?” He shakes his head, and Wooseok disappears into the bedroom, returning with a t-shirt and shorts for him to wear, a familiar sight.

Seungyoun can’t help the laugh that escapes. “Wooseokie, you still have this?” He holds up the t-shirt, the emblem of their high school printed on the front, the year of their graduating class in big numbers. “I thought you would have tossed this by now. It’s way too big for you.”

His best friend glares at him. “Don’t you dare bring that up now.”

He ignores the warning, the first smile of the day tugging at the corner of his lips. “Remember when you said there’s no _possible _way that you had already stopped growing and decided to order it a size bigger than you were?” Seungyoun teases. “Oh yeah, and then you stopped growing.”

“I hate you.” Seungyoun dodges as Wooseok throws the pillow at him. “Here’s your pillow.” His best friend’s voice softens, his face worried suddenly. “Get some sleep. You can just call into work sick tomorrow.”

Seungyoun climbs into Wooseok’s bed later in the night, nudging for his best friend to move over. “Wooseokie,” He whispers, shaking the other boy’s shoulder, a groan of sleepiness arising from Wooseok. “Can I sleep with you tonight?”

“No. You have the couch.”

“Come on, just tonight.” Seungyoun crawls under the covers, his friend automatically moving over even with the protests. “I can’t sleep, and your bed’s big enough anyways.” Wooseok makes a murmur of assent, rolling over to wrap his arms loosely around Seungyoun. “Wooseokie?”

“What now?”

“Am I just the type of person that no one can love forever?” The words are heavy in his throat, the tears stinging the back of his eyes.

He doesn’t get a response, even after a few hissed whispers of the other boy’s name, Wooseok already fast asleep.

Seungyoun wakes up the next morning to breakfast on the kitchen table, a note from Wooseok next to the two fried eggs on a plate and glass of orange juice.

“You’re the type of person that deserves to be loved forever, and fuck whoever thinks otherwise.”

\---

“CHO SEUNGYOUN, FUCK YOU!” Seungyoun opens his eyes warily, still bleary from sleep, the scratchy sheets of the hospital bed against his skin, to see his best friend standing over him brimming with fury. And Wooseok’s eyes are red and puffy, clearly swollen from crying, though any trace of sadness from before has been wiped from his friend’s face by anger. “I don’t fucking hear from you for _months_. You don’t respond to any of my texts, any of my calls. And after _all that_, the first thing I hear is that you’re in the fucking hospital after trying to OD? Fuck you.”

Wooseok’s voice trembles on the last two words, his hands coming up to rub at his eyes, turning his face away from Seungyoun slightly to hide the tears.

“I’m sorry, Wooseokie.” His voice comes out small, defeated, deepened with apology.

“Don’t you dare, _Wooseokie_, me.”

“How did you even find out?”

“You dummy. I’m still listed as your emergency contact in the system. You never changed it after college when I went to the hospital with you after you sprained your ankle.”

Wooseok sits down on the edge of the bed. “I came as soon as I got the call.” Seungyoun’s heart clenches as his friend ruffles his hair, the happiness at seeing Wooseok suddenly overtaking him. “I’m still upset with you, but how are you doing?” Wooseok bites his lower lip, his friend’s tell-tale sign that he is worried.

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

“You’re not fine.” Wooseok stares, his eyebrows drawn together into a frown. “Or else you wouldn’t be _here_.”

“I guess that’s true.”

His best friend gives him a steely look. “Well, now that I’ve found you, you’re not getting rid of me again. You are absolutely stuck with me every day from now, and I don’t want to hear even a peep of complaint from you.”

Seungyoun’s chest swells with a gratefulness that he doesn’t know how to express in words. “I- Wooseok, you don’t have to do that.”

“Sure I do, Seungyounie.”

The next day, there are flowers in his room when he wakes up, the bright pop of yellow tulips on his bedside table.

\---

Seungyoun doesn’t even know how to answer Wooseok’s question. _What’s wrong? _The tears won’t stop long enough for him to push out words, the soft petting of his friend’s fingers through his hair as he lays his head in Wooseok’s lap only making him cry harder. _It’s okay, it’s okay. _Seungyoun lets the other boy murmur the words into his ear over and over again, guilt at the tears he’s soaking into the other boy’s lap.

“It’s okay, Seungyounie. One day, you’re going to get everything you want. That boy who wants to marry you, the two little kids you two are going to have, a boy and a girl, and a house with a huge back yard so you can play soccer with your kids. You’re going to have all of it, I promise.” Wooseok says the soothing words to him in a soft whisper, referencing the dream Seungyoun had put down on an assignment when they were still in second grade. “I promise.”

“And you know what? If you don’t find that boy, then whatever. You can still have kids. And I can be their second parent or godfather or something.” Wooseok jokes, his voice light and teasing.

The proclamation only makes Seungyoun cry harder, knowing that his best friend doesn’t know yet, that his ex-boyfriend doesn’t want kids, and there’s nothing he can do about it.

Wooseok mistakes the renewed round of tears, quickly trying to backtrack. “Okay, I’m sorry. That was a bad joke. Of course you’re going to find the perfect guy to love you. Of course you will, Seungyounie.”

He cries the rest of the night, Wooseok kindly staying up until he falls asleep.

The next day, Seungyoun digs the piece of paper out of his closet, hidden in the back in a box with all his childhood things, the drawing of a house, a big tree in the front, the sun hanging in the air with some clouds, the two stick figure parents and two little kids plus a dog. All drawn in blue crayon, his name signed proudly in messy cursive across the top. He smiles looking at it, the yellow crayon on the paper, almost missed if one doesn’t look closely, in small letters along the side.

_Wooseok was here._

\---

“Wooseokie, do you think I’m ever going to find someone?” His best friend looks up from the ground where he’s packing, folding each piece of clothing neatly and piling it into his suitcase.

“Why are we talking about this again?”

Seungyoun pouts, seeing Wooseok’s look of disbelief, his friend momentarily pausing to give him full attention. “I don’t know. It’s just been _months _since I’ve gone on a good date, and I’m starting to get tired of flipping through dating profiles.” He turns his phone around to show Wooseok a picture of a guy. “Do you think a professor that teaches physics would be interested in me?”

His friend rolls his eyes. “You failed our high school physics class.”

“No I didn’t.” He objects. “I _definitely _passed. Remember? Seungwoo tutored me the entire time.”

“Seungwoo tutored you when you took the remedial class.”

“Oh, crap. You’re right.”

Wooseok turns back around, continuing to pack his clothes. “And yeah, I do think that _eventually _you’re going to find someone you can’t live without. And you’ll know it when the time comes.”

Seungyoun snorts with laughter. “The only one I probably can’t live without is you, Wooseokie.”

His best friend turns around to wink at him. “And don’t you forget it.”

He’s still thinking about it in bed later at night, settling into bed to watch some television after dropping Wooseok off at the airport for his flight earlier. _Someone I can’t live without. _Seungyoun isn’t sure the person exists, and sitting in bed swiping through more dating profiles sure isn’t helping, the notification from Wooseok popping up in the middle of his movie. _Finally got to my hotel. _He sends a thumbs up in reply, groaning as the lead actor on screen proposes in the cheesiest way possible.

The realization hits him hours later.

_Someone I can’t live without._

Wooseok’s voice is laced with tiredness, his greeting mumbled into the phone, and Seungyoun imagines his best friend with his call on speakerphone, fondly picturing Wooseok’s face half-asleep, a sight he’s seen countless times over the years. “It’s three in the morning Seungyoun, and I have to present at tomorrow’s conference. I need to be awake in three hours, and god help me, if it was anyone else besides you, I wouldn’t have even considered picking up the phone.”

“It’s because you can’t live without me, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. Now tell me what you want so I can get my beauty sleep.”

“You don’t need beauty sleep, Wooseokie. You’re beautiful even when you roll right out of bed.”

Seungyoun smiles upon hearing his best friend’s pleased tone.

“Okay, stop trying to butter me up. Now I know there’s something wrong with you. And tell me why you called before I hang up on you.”

“Date me.”

“…what?”

Seungyoun bites his lip nervously as Wooseok goes silent over the other end, only the sound of the other boy’s breathing heard.

“You know, I know I’ve told you over the years that I _hate _cheesy things, but really, are you really, really asking me out _over the phone _while I’m on a _goddamn business trip _at three in the fucking morning?” Wooseok sounds wide awake now, his tone sharp with rebuke, and Seungyoun laughs at hearing his best friend’s offended tone. “I mean, I know I’m not a hopeless romantic or something, but I really do think I deserve a better proposal than this.”

“Wait another two years, and I’ll give you one.”

“I-“ And Seungyoun grins when he hears Wooseok spluttering, struggling to find the words.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yes.”

Seungyoun makes a kissing noise into the phone. “Good night, Wooseokie.”

“Good night, Seungyounie.” A pause. “Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to have me love you forever.”

Wooseok hangs up before Seungyoun can say anything back, basking in the warm glow of happiness in the dark.

Maybe so.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos, and feedback are always appreciated!
> 
> Twitter: [@sidestickienote](https://twitter.com/sidestickienote)  
CuriousCat: [@sidestickienote](https://curiouscat.qa/sidestickienote)


End file.
